carrie

Thanks Patrina, I have replied to your message. If the breeder is happy for us to rehome little Coco, we have two vet nurses with breed experience who are very interested, however we want to do the right thing first. Thanks again for all your help.

Thanks so much Simply Grand. She's still hospitalised at the moment, recovering from her massive surgery. I have an experienced carer lined up (a vet nurse) plus two vet nurses with experience with the breed wanting to adopt, so we know that she'll find a happy ending no matter what. I just want to give the breeder the opportunity to take her dog back if that is her policy and desire.

I have contacted the Shetland Sheepdog club of Qld and hope to be able to contact the breeder soon.

Thank you. CRQ gets lots of non chihuahuas because we are run by a team of vets and nurses, but when a dog comes with papers we want to do the right thing. She's had surgery to remove a foreign body (bone) and will be safe in foster care whilst we try to make contact with the breeder

Is anyone familiar with ROKEL Shetland Sheepdog breeders? I am from Chihuahua Rescue Qld and we have had a sick Shetland Sheepdog surrendered, with its papers and it's from this breeder. I would of course like to do the right thing and contact the breeder first and foremost. Can someone message me a contact number if they have one, I can't even find a website.

Can't be the same company. Greencross Vets only has Australian vets. It was started in Townsville and the head office is based in Brisbane. There may be a vet in the UK with the same name, but it's definitely not the same company.

Please excuse my ignorance. I have recently met a lady who is very proud to be a registered breeder and tells everyone that she is a registered breeder frequently. However, she has never bred a litter and she doesn't have a single registered dog! This is what confuses me. How can someone be registered as a breeder when all their dogs are unpapered and from backyard breeders? Can anyone register as a breeder without even owning a registered dog?

Where is Gordan Park? Do you mean Norman Park? I've never heard of Gordan Park before (doesn't mean it doesn't exist though).

So I'm a vet nurse and today at work I mentioned to my boss (the head vet) that I was going to try and get two Yorkies this weekend and he told me that the other nurses have complained to him about the amount of rescue work we are doing - apparently it's 'stressful' for them. I'm pretty upset, my passion for rescue and animal welfare is the REASON I became a nurse and I'm not stopping rescuing. But, I think I shouldnt take in any more fosters for a few weeks. Today I adopted out the last of the chihuahuas we rescued from the pound via Varicool a few weeks ago so we don't even have any dogs for adoption at the moment so it's frustrating but I'm worried if the other nurses get in my bosses ear too much then he'll completely stop doing the massive discounts for rescue that he currently allows our clinic to do. As I says to Varicool today, if the Yorkies situation becomes urgent and there is no other options for then, then I'll take them and tell the other nurses to lighten up, but I think for the sake of all the other rescue groups our clinic supports and the adoption program we currently run, I should lie low for a few weeks. Sorry guys.

I had a cat surrendered this year because 'he scratches on our glass doors when we lock him outside'... This cat is super-social and just loves being with people! One of my first rescues was a Maltese x that 'barks all day'... Did I mention that he lived in a guinea pig cage? He was about 7kg. I've also rescued a staffy x that grew up to be a crossbreed which meant he 'chewed too much'. You see pure Staffords apparently don't chew so the owner needed to get rid of the cross bred staffy she'd bought from a pet shop as a purebred and instead get a pure Stafford which wouldn't chew like a crossbred one does! Recently rehomed a fox terrier who 'made too much mess and tried to escape all the time'... Did I mention she was locked in a dark garage with nowhere to toilet and desperately tried to get out to get some company? She never once had an accident in my house!

But what if she sees them advertised on Pet Rescue in a few weeks? I guess I could claim it 'didn't work out'... Hmmm.

Varicool - Whiskey is being picked up by Dogtainers tomorrow to fly to his new home on a farm in Victoria, Hosaes been adopted by the sister of one of our vets, Jacks gone to a wonderful older man who just lost his 18 year old chihuahua and Pedros in foster care so I'll have room to take the Yorkies if the lady will hand them over to another rescue group. We WILL desex, vaccinate and do any vet work before adoption... I'd never adopt out an entire dog!

I got a chihuahua watch from my husband, and a yoga dogs chihuahua phone case and mug!

At least they are promoting some good information: http://www.oscarslaw.org/faqs.php I liked what they said about designers and the difference between registered breeders and puppy farms. Many people would otherwise not encounter that information. I want to know what *is* Oscars "law" though? I too can't see any actual proposed ideas, just a site promoting awareness of puppy farm and backyard breeders!

I used Joint Guard for two years and saw a massive improvement in my chihuahuas arthritis. Then we found he went downhill quickly. I changed onto Glyde but felt it still wasn't helping as much as I hoped it would (he was still sore and limping sometimes). So I took him off Glyde and within a week he was about twenty times worse - constantly limping, sore, stiff, painful... So back on the Glyde and his symptoms lessened a great deal. Glyde has Green Lipped Mussle which the other products don't have, and apparently it works as an anti-inflammatory. It's very expensive though but I will continue to use it because I feel it makes a big difference to my little dog!

What symptoms in particular are you wanting to use benadryl for?

My little 'chihuahua' looked alot like that photo when he was 9 weeks. His sister looked identical to that pup. I was 18, stupid and thought papers unnecessary and bought my 'pure' chihuahua from a 'breeder' (she said she was so I didn't doubt! I had no idea what a backyard breeder was). Now my boy is 7, and I adore him. But he's got lupus, cruciate and patella problems, he's had a prolapsed eye, collapsing tracea, terrible skin condition and allergies abs early onset arthritis. Now much of this is probably linked directly to lupus, and these things could all potentially happen to a pure bred dog. But he also went from being a cute stocky pup who looked just like that photo and he weighed less than 500 grams, to being about 30cm tall, wearing a 35cm coat and he weighs 4.9kg and doesn't look pure bred at all. I love him. I'd never trade him for the world, but a cute puppy photo is not enough.

I've used Joint Guard for my chihuahua arthritis for several years now and been very happy but lately it's not been enough. Our vet moved us only Glyde, because it has the Green Lipped Mussel which the other products don't have. If I remember correctly this helps as an anti-inflammatory? I think? Correct me if you know better! I just remember it has EXTRA than Sashas Blend and Joint Guard so my vet prefers it.

Rebanne- she said it's for her year 12 project, and many teenagers don't have an email other then a freebie one. I didn't until I was an employed adult.

I'm so sorry. I can't imagine anything more horrible happening to your dogs.

I walked past that pet shop last night on the way to the bank (well I'm assuming I did, I'd be surprised if two Bris pet stores had dobermans and were expecting white shepherds!) I was shocked to see the beautiful dobermans, I've never before seen dobs in a pet store window!

I agree completely Dogmad, buying is NOT rescueing. It's making room for many more to be put in the window. I used to foster for Best Friends Rescue but after the co-ordinator moved interstate, I didn't stay in touch with the new team (no reason really, I still think they do a FANTASTIC job). These days I work as a vet nurse and we have started an adoption program in clinic (rehomed over 100 cats and kittens over the last three years, a small number compared to some, but I'm still very happy about the ones we've re-homed). We very occasionally have dog surrenders that we rehome if possible I regularly foster kittens as they do far better at home being part of a family then caged at the clinic To the OP - sorry if I took your thread off topic a little. What I intended by telling you about my little Penny was to explain that being a crossbreed, size, temperament and health are so variable it's hard to predict. My Penny is small, whilst her littermate is quite tall. I'd love to see more pictures of your little pup

Penny and her sister were taken into a vet clinic to be euthanaised actually, a vet nurse rescued them and put them into foster care with a group she was associated with. We fostered Pen, and she never left us!

Dogmas was your post aimed at me? Whilst Penny spent months in a pet store, when did I ever say I bought her from them? She's a rescue, I said that. I completely agree with what you are saying, which is why I'm a bit taken aback that you're assuming Penny and her sister were purchased. I too rescue and foster dogs, kittens and cats, and at the time Penny came to me as a foster infact. But she soon became a foster failure when my chi x fell in love with her. We fostered her and she never left us.

I have a lovely miniature fox terrier x toy poodle. She is very sweet natured and she weighs 4 kilos and is about the size of a Pomeranian. Sadly her sister is aggressive and very difficult and about twice the size. So being that your pup is a cross-breed, it's hard to predict how tall she'll grow. My dog Penny and her sister was rescued after being bred in a puppy mill and then sat in a Pets Paradise window for well over 6 months, marketed as foxidoodles. They are both highly strung, extremely anxious and timid. Thankfully my girl is sweet natured and just cowers when she's scared, whilst her sister is aggressive when feeling threatened. Whilst I'm sure most of their temperament issues relate to their 8 months spent caged and ignored, I do think that they kind of have the high energy of the fox terrier mixed with that slightly high strung nature of some poodles. They also shed excessively. Oh the joys of 'designer crosses'. In saying that, I wouldn't trade Penny for anything, I love her dearly! She's loving, smart and desperate to please. Shes the cuddliest dog I've ever had and is loyal and noone gives me a better welcome home than my Penny